Exclusive Interview: Thayne Jasperson of 'So You Think You Can Dance'Friday, July 11, 2008

Thayne Japerson was THIS CLOSE to making the Top 10 on FOX's So You Think You Can Dance. Last night, though, proved to be his last dance and the judges decided to send him home. Thayne landed in the bottom three for the fourth time last night and, up against Will Wingfield and Twitch Boss, the judges seemed to have an easy time eliminating him. His partner, Comfort Fedoke, also was sent packing. Today, Thayne spoke to BuddyTV in an exclusive interview. He spoke about his dance background, his upcoming movie, and gave BuddyTV readers a little inside info about the upcoming tour.

Below, you will find the complete transcript and mp3 of the interview.

Not all titles featured on BuddyTV are available through Amazon Prime.

Hey everybody, this is Gina from BuddyTV and today I’m talking to Thayne from So You Think You Can Dance. Can you tell me a little bit about your dance background and how long you’ve been dancing?

I’ve been dancing for six years now, I started late. I got into a dancing group and they made me take dance classes because I sucked at it, and then I saw a company dance with guys on it that was really strong. I was like, “Wow, that’s what I want to do, I want to dance like them.” So I started taking ballet, jazz, modern, tap, and I took some hip-hop. Just kind of all day long, like I would take two ballet classes a day because I wanted to become good in a matter of two months. [laughs] After that it was just working like crazy, like I would go into the studio by myself and I would work on the warmup and the different things that they would do in the jazz class. I would clean at the studio so I could take classes for cheaper, because I couldn’t really afford all the classes. And then I got into the company, I’ve been dancing with them, I went on tour to Europe, I did both of the High School Musicals as a featured dancer. I got to be in the movie American Mall, it’s coming out very soon.

Oh yes, American Mall, that’s the one that Neal Haskell’s in?

Yeah.

Oh that’s great. So is this your first year trying out for So You Think You Can Dance?

Yes, this is my first year.

What made you decide to try out for the show and what was the goal?

The goal, well, I really wanted to get on the show. I watched the show since the beginning and I loved it, I thought it was so cool, and so I wanted to get on it. I didn’t know how far I’d go really, like when I first made it to Vegas we were going on the European tour so I was like, Crap, I’m not going to be able to even go to Vegas. But then the chance came and I was able to go, and then when I was in Vegas it was kind of like each day I was like, okay, I just want to make it to tomorrow, I just want to make it Mia, I just want to make it to the last day. Then after I made it to the last thing, I was like, Okay, I really want to make it to the top 20. I think the goal the changed as I progressed through it.

It seems like this season the judges have been so tough on the male contemporary dancers, on you, and then Chris and Matt. What’s been your opinion of the way you guys have been treated?

Well, I think they expected a lot of us, and it’s hard because sometimes you get kind of harsh criticism and you’re like, Whoa, where’d that come from? Because you feel like you did better than maybe what might have been said to you in certain things. Certain things I’ll see and I’m like, Okay, I can see what they’re talking about, I should have done better with that . But for me, any criticism is good criticism, you take it and you learn from it and it just makes you a better dancer.

So when you landed in the bottom three this week up against Twitch and Will, who we know are some of the judges’ favorites, were you like, “Oh no!”?

[laughs] Yes, I knew they were two of the judges’ favorites, and so it was kind of like, once we got called into the bottom, I was Okay, well, that’s good. But I didn’t want to give up either, I wanted to go out there and dance my best. I wanted to do the best solo I could and show the judges and America what I love to do and that I deserve to be here.

Please tell me there’s some chance of you being the swing on the tour this year.

Yeah, I’m the tour, they announced it right after the show was over, the producer got up and said that he was taking us on the tour, so I was really excited about that.

Okay, that’s amazing, I’m so happy to hear that because when you went home I was like, "He better get to go on tour".

[laughs] Thanks, that’s what I thought, we made it this far and we worked so hard, so I was really excited. When he said that, I didn’t even know what to say.

Well I guess we know what your life is going to be like until the end of the year, but once the tour is over do you have any goals or plans for the future?

Yes, I do. I always really wanted to Broadway and movies, I’m just struggling to decide what to do after, because I don’t know. I’m like, I want to come back and I really want to do movies and get bit parts and get to dance and sing and act, and go do Broadway. I want to do both, I kind of want to do whatever comes to me, I guess.

Well I’m so excited you’re on the tour, that just put me in a good mood. I just wanted to say thank you so much and wish you good luck, I hope I get to see you when you’re on the tour.